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A massive crowd fills the streets outside of the National Assembly to call for President Yoon Suk-yeol to be impeached on the night of Dec. 7, 2024, when a vote was slated to be held on an impeachment motion. (Kim Hye-yun/Hankyoreh)

The US government emphasized the importance of ensuring that South Korea’s democratic processes function properly after a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol failed on Saturday.
 
In a statement on Saturday (local time) a spokesperson for the US Department of State did not refer directly to the impeachment motion’s failure to qualify for a vote but stated, “The United States has taken note of the outcome of the National Assembly today, as well as the discussion of further action in the Assembly. We continue to call for the full and proper functioning of the ROK’s democratic institutions and processes, in accordance with the constitution,” US news outlets such as Voice of America reported.
 
“The right to peaceful protest is an integral element of a healthy democracy and must be respected in all circumstances,” the official said while also reiterating that the alliance between the two countries remains “ironclad,” as the US is “committed to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.”
 
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed “grave concern” when news of the president’s attempted insurrection first broke on Tuesday. The following day, Campbell frankly criticized Yoon for his “badly misjudged” decision to declare martial law.
 
With US national security adviser Jake Sullivan also commenting that Washington was going to “continue to speak out publicly and engage privately with South Korean counterparts,” on Wednesday, the US continues to send unprecedented warnings to South Korea.
 
US media outlets are also dedicating considerable resources to covering the extraordinary situation in South Korea. A New York Times article titled “How Protestors Filled the Streets in South Korea’s Center of Power,” published on Saturday (local time) presented aerial photographs of the protest held in front of the National Assembly as part of an in-depth report on the situation.
 
“The rally at the National Assembly ahead of the impeachment vote on Saturday was the largest one yet, despite freezing temperatures,” the New York Times wrote before providing hour-by-hour descriptions of the rally.  
 
While Japanese media outlets are also closely monitoring the sudden turn of events in South Korea, reports have revealed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s intention to forgo a visit to Seoul planned for January, and is instead making plans to visit Southeast Asia.
 
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani was planning to visit South Korea in late December but has since opted to delay his visit, Japanese outlets reported.

By Cho Ki-weon, staff reporter; Seo Young-ji, staff reporter; Hong Seock-jae, Tokyo correspondent

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